The Art of Seduction
by exoticpanda
Summary: He is the heir to Light Seduction, a prestigious fashion company in the city. She is a fourth year University student who earned her place as one of their temporary designers. But when an unexpected spark is lit again, they experience a little more than friendship, witness a little more than betrayal, and become a little more human. AU
1. One

**ONE **

The tall and exotic building was situated in the heart of the city known as Radiant Gardens. Known for its superior status, it wasn't a mystery as to why Light Seduction was one of the three biggest fashion agencies in the province as they were famous for being a place where aspiring designers young or old could continue to hone their skills.

A long list of names sat on his large black desk. With his elbow propped on the glass surface, his knuckles resting on his cheek, he yawned loudly. His blue eyes gave a quick sweep of the paper, choosing to ignore the mountain of manila folders sitting on the far end of the table. This was pure torture. Not only was he in charge of selecting the most suitable candidates from a massive pool of students' profiles this year, he had multiple tasks waiting for him that he had procrastinated throughout the day.

It was a pain in the arse being a 'CEO in training'.

Unbeknownst to him, the door to his office had swung open to reveal a boy similar in appearance. Like him, he was nicely dressed – a suit, tie, and all. He was leaning against the wall, mentally laughing at how pathetic his brother looked sitting at the desk, trying to hold on to his last bit of sanity.

"Hello, Roxas."

The man sitting at the desk spared a glance at his younger twin brother, Ventus Decastére, an annoying brat who had a similar adventurous personality, but a more flirtatious attitude towards women.

"What do you want, Ven?"

With his hands in his pockets, Ventus walked towards him and once he was in close proximity, he jumped on his brother's table, his legs dangling over the edge as he swung them back and forth like a five year old child.

"I thought you would be at least somewhat happy to see me. It feels like we haven't seen each other for weeks," Ventus said.

"We work in different departments," Roxas said dryly. "It's rare that you would ever drop by. Usually you just get someone else to do that for you."

"Oh, don't give me that distant attitude," Ventus smirked. "Since I'm here, let's go for a cup of coffee or something."

Roxas's eyebrow rose. Only Ventus would be crazy enough to go for a coffee break at one in the morning. "I can't. I have too much to do."

"Ooh, someone's been procrastinating again."

Unfazed, Roxas rolled his eyes. "Can you do me a big favor, Ven? I would really appreciate it."

"Shoot."

"Get the hell out of my office."

Ventus snickered. It wasn't a surprise that his darling twin brother Roxas would be so snappy. He had been juggling meetings and paperwork all throughout the day without more than a minute's rest. Though, if he had used his time a little more efficiently, perhaps he wouldn't be swamped in folders and papers right now.

"Need some help? You can get started on the paperwork while I slave through this massive pile of folders," Ventus suggested.

Roxas looked at him dubiously and said the first thought that popped in his mind, "Are you on crack or something?"

"Excuse me?" Ventus scoffed. "_I_ have time management skills. _You_ do not. _I_ work effectively and efficiently. _You_ do not._ I_ _always_ get my work done before the end of the day. You _obviously_ do not."

Roxas scowled. Ventus hopped off the table and picked up the first manila folder as Roxas heaved a bunch of papers that had been collecting dust underneath his table ever since this morning. Ventus grinned and his blue eyes scanned down the page, briefly reading her information in each category. She was pretty with her light brown eyes and long black tresses that were brushed to one side. Her smile was captivating, and Ventus felt an instant attraction. He was, after all, very much attracted to long haired girls with a pretty face.

"She looks nice," Ventus said, handing Roxas the folder. "Doesn't she?"

Roxas took a quick glimpse then looked at Ventus. "If you mean 'hot', which I assume that you do, then yes. She looks _very_ nice."

"So you've finally caught on, huh?" Ventus laughed as he pulled up a chair.

"This is exactly why I need to stay as far away from you as possible," Roxas said. "Your bad habits are rubbing off on me."

Ventus scoffed loudly. "Oh, please. You're just as much as a flirt as I am."

"No. I'm better. " Roxas smirked, a teasing hint to his tone.

Ventus closed the folder and playfully smacked it against his brother's pretty face. Known for their handsome appearance, the Decastére brothers were delicious eye candy wherever they went. Much to the delight of the female employees, they considered themselves as having a front row seat and flirting rights during coffee and lunch breaks.

After the very mature argument of bouncing back the phrase "I'm better", Roxas began slaving through the extremely boring paperwork, and Ventus plowed through the other folders but spent a little more time with girls with an appealing appearance.

When he was nearly halfway through, Ventus became fairly intrigued by a familiar face. Her smile was faint but noticeable, and her blue eyes were a lighter shade than the brothers'. Shoulder length blond tresses framed her pale, childlike complexion and if looked closely, one would find light rings underneath her eyes which were evidence of a sleepless night.

Her name was just as foreign sounding as he remembered. Naminé Sparks – a girl he went to school with during junior high and part of high school. Ventus's eyes landed on Roxas without a turn of his head. The former wondered if his brother would remember her. They did have a history together after all.

"Hey Roxas," Ventus said, turning the folder around.

"What?"

"Do you remember her?"

Roxas glanced to the side and upon seeing the small photograph, his heart leapt unexpectedly. He nodded once and went back to his paperwork without a second look. Ventus, very amused, inched the folder towards him just to see if he could get a better reaction out of his seemingly calm brother.

"You okay?" Ventus smirked. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine, Ven," Roxas said dryly.

"So…you remember her?" This time Roxas had no reaction. His eyes were glued on the paper, his hand writing like mad but Ventus had no intention of dropping the subject anytime soon. It was his job to make his brother's life as difficult as possible. Wasn't that what siblings were for? "Come on, Roxas. I know you remember her," Ventus probed. "Remember that time when you asked her to homecoming but we all ended up going as a group anyway? So much for your—"

"Ventus," Roxas said sternly, startled by his own low voice. "Yes I remember her, okay? If you're going to continue being a dick, then get the hell out."

"Well, she fits the qualifications almost perfectly. The work that she submitted with her profile is pretty outstanding for a girl her age," Ventus explained. "I think it'll be good for the company if we accept her as an intern this year."

A pause.

Ventus inched his chair forward. "Can I ask you one last thing?"

"What?"

"Do you guys still talk?"

Roxas sighed loudly. "Does it matter?"

Ventus shrugged, "Nah, not really. I got my answer anyways." Roxas scowled but said nothing as his amused brother moved on to the next folder. Feeling Roxas's stare on him, Ventus looked up, his eyes wide with innocence. "What?"

"Fuck you."

"What? What did I do?" Ventus asked, trying to suppress his smile. When his brother said nothing, he laughed loudly, fueling Roxas's irritation even more.

**~x~x~**

She could still hear her heartbeat beat rapidly in her chest as she recalled herself expertly weaving through the students yesterday at school. Her bottom lip was curled inwards as her dark blue eyes frantically searched for her name on the multiple lists. After three years of tears, hard work, and dedication, there was no way her name could not be on any of these lists. So when she finally caught a glimpse of the name Naminé Sparks scrawled underneath the list for Light Seduction, she uncharacteristically squealed in delight.

Her reverie was suddenly interrupted as she heard loud snapping in front of her. Blurred fingers came into sight, and soon she was looking at the annoyed face of her step sister, Kairi Knightley, a feisty, sarcastic, and outgoing redhead who had, without a doubt, also made it on the same list.

"Did you hear what I said?" Kairi snapped.

"Yeah, yeah, of course I did," Naminé said as she averted her eyes elsewhere.

"_Really?_" Kairi said doubtfully. "What did I say then?"

Naminé eyed the dress Kairi was holding in her right hand. The former quickly glanced back to her and smiled, "You're wondering if that dress is too expensive and if it's suitable for the party on Saturday."

Kairi sighed loudly and plopped down beside her, her cheeks enlarged. "And your opinion is?"

"I think it's nice. It's very…you."

Kairi held up the dress and pouted as her eyes gave another sweep of the expensive, strapless, light pink dress with a rectangular jewel placed underneath the chest area. "You think? Don't think my boobs will be too small?"

Naminé laughed. "You should get it."

Kairi lightly slapped her sister's leg. "What about you? Don't tell me that you're going to walk out of here empty handed."

Naminé stood up. "Nah, I'll get something for sure. It's a big party, and I don't really wanna look underdressed."

"It's a big and _expensive_ party." Kairi corrected. "C'mon, let's find you something!"

As the girls rummaged through the multiple dresses in the boutique, Naminé became more and more entranced. It had been God-knows-how-long since she had a proper shopping trip. Blame the assignments and exams for that.

Naminé picked out a knee length stunning white dress that had gold sparkles embedded within. She placed the dress over her and looked down. It appeared to fit her perfectly and as she heard footsteps coming behind her, she turned around and saw Kairi who had multiple dresses draped over her arm.

"What do you think?" Naminé asked.

Kairi thoroughly looked at the attire and shook her head. "You always wear white. Why not try something different?"

Naminé frowned. "But I like white."

"Nothing wrong with that," Kairi held up a dark blue dress and shoved it to her. "Try this one. I think it'll look amazing on you! Besides, it totally matches your eyes," she smirked.

Naminé held the dress up and glanced up and down. It was sleeveless and would reach a little above her knees. The bodice was decorated with tiny, star-like beads which were placed in an S pattern. It appealed to her, but it was just a little out of her comfort zone.

"No buts!" Kairi said loudly as soon as Naminé opened her mouth. "Go try it on and thank me later." The former snatched the white dress out of Naminé's hands and draped it over her arm. "No more white."

"But—"

Kairi held up her hand and Naminé sighed loudly as she was ushered to the dressing room.

She blinked several times, unable to believe that the girl in the mirror was her. The dark blue dress Kairi had rudely shoved in her arm was a comfortable fit. Though it was a little short in Naminé's opinion, it looked very nice on her, emphasizing the little curves that she had which embarrassed her a little.

Naminé stepped out of the room and saw Kairi who was sitting outside swinging her legs back and forth, phone in hand, texting a friend.

"How does it look?" Naminé asked.

Kairi looked up and jumped to her feet. "It looks amazing! You _have _to get it!"

"I really like it too," Naminé grinned. "Yeah, I think I'll get it."

That night, as Kairi was singing loudly in the shower, Naminé turned on her laptop and logged onto Skype like always. Her eyes immediately went to the contacts list, and her heart dropped slightly upon noticing that he wasn't online. She stood up and grabbed a small white towel that was sitting on her bed and wrapped it securely around her wet hair before heading to the kitchen. As she poured herself and Kairi a glass of milk, that was when she heard it – the beep coming from her laptop.

She rushed back to her seat and smiled as she noticed the one unread message.

_Roxas: Naminé? 10:45 PM_

_Naminé: Hey Roxas! 10:46 PM_

Naminé switched on her desk lamp as she heard Kairi coming out of the shower.

"The milk's on the counter!" Naminé shouted.

_Roxas: Gratz on your acceptance 10:48 PM_

_Naminé: Haha are you sure you didn't pick me just cause we know each other? 10:50PM_

"You didn't even heat it up!" Kairi said loudly.

_Roxas: Ha-ha. Very funny. No I did not loser. -.- 10:51 PM_

"I didn't? Sorry, my bad!"

_Naminé: So what's with the party on Saturday? 10:51 PM_

"Naminé, do you want something to eat?" Kairi asked, poking her head in their room. "I'm kinda hungry but I don't wanna cook something if you're not."

"Sure, why not. What are you in the mood for?" Naminé asked, turning to look at her sister.

Kairi tapped her chin, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, "Soup!"

Naminé glanced at the clock. "It's already eleven though."

Kairi frowned. "So? We're hungry!"

_Roxas: Sora is coming back for a year and his birthday is on Saturday, remember? My mom wanted to do something special for him and my dad thought it would be a good idea to invite the new interns too. 10:53PM_

"Okay, sure," Naminé chuckled. "Cook whatever you want."

"Uh, you have to come help me!" Kairi yelled as she walked to the kitchen next to the bedroom. "Get your butt over here!"

_Naminé: Sora's coming back? REALLY? He didn't tell me anything. 10:56 PM_

When Roxas didn't reply right away, Naminé opened up an Internet browser and started surfing the web - more specifically the online shopping sites. She heard Kairi take out a bunch of pots and pans from the kitchen and a quiet groan escaped her lips before another light beep came from her chat.

"Naminé, hurry up!"

_Roxas: He probably wants to surprise you when he gets there hahaha 11:00 PM_

"Naminé, hurry up!"

_Naminé Ugh I have to go. Kairi wants me to help her cook. 11:03 PM_

_Roxas Haha okay. Have fun with that. :P 11:04 PM_

"Naminé!"

_Naminé Lol thanks -.- 11:04 PM_

"I'm coming!"

She minimized her browsers and stood up, rolling her eyes as she heard Kairi loudly nagging from the kitchen.

From halfway across the city, Roxas was sitting at this desk, frustrated as he finished filling out the rest of the documents that needed to be finished for the day. He placed the pen on the table and sighed loudly as he leaned back on his chair. Roxas glanced at his expensive laptop and watched the busy group chat that consisted of his closest friends. Naturally his eyes wandered to Naminé's, and though he knew she wouldn't reply, he clicked on it and started typing nonetheless.

He stared at it for a few seconds, wondering if it sounded too formal, or perhaps a little flirty? Either way, he disregarded the thought and pressed the enter key, knowing that she would be thinking the same thought as him: friendly with a sprinkle of flirty-ness.


	2. Two

**Author's Note: **After rereading my chapter one, I wasn't satisfied with how it turned out. Therefore, it'll be great if the readers could **go back** and **reread** the **new chapter one** since chapter two wouldn't make much sense if you didn't.

I tried catching as much error as I could. So if anything stands out to you, let me know.

I also think I'm losing my touch, unfortunately.

Thanks to all who reviewed and subscribed! Happy reading.

* * *

**TWO **

She repeated those words constantly in her mind throughout the day as if she were a broken record. Her heart fluttered, and occasionally a light blush could be seen on her pale cheeks. Thank goodness Kairi was never the observant one.

That Saturday late afternoon, the sisters returned after a good meal at a nearby restaurant. As soon as Kairi entered their small apartment, she carelessly tossed her bag on her bed and sprawled herself across the couch, feeling bloated but still wanting more dessert. Naminé placed her bag on the counter and sat on her sister's legs, her eyes wandering to the owl clock hanging on the wall.

4:00pm.

"Excited? We just have three more hours to go until we're chilling with the rich kids," Kairi laughed.

"Yeah, I'm excited. Who wouldn't be?"

"True that," Kairi jumped to her feet. "We must eat and drink all we can!"

As Kairi headed towards their bedroom, Naminé's brows came together as she heard a familiar ringtone coming from her bag. She leaned over and reached inside and pulled out her vibrating cell phone. Her bottom lip curled inwards, and she suddenly felt like a giddy schoolgirl who just received the long awaited call from her crush. Her excitement, however, quickly vanished when she read the unknown number displayed on the device. Still, she decided to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Guess whose back in town?"

Naminé's eyes widened, and her jaw nearly dropped at the sound of the familiar male voice. "Sora, is that you?"

There was a loud chuckle, and Naminé's smile grew a mile. "Who else could it be?"

"When did you get back?"

"Just this morning," was the fast response. "Roxas and Ven drove me to their place after I got here. But then they decided to play CEO and left me all alone. How sad, right?"

Naminé laughed. "Aren't you tired from the long flight at all? You should be resting!"

"I'm too excited to be sleeping! I wanna go out and do something! So I thought I would call you up and see if you wanna hang out."

Naminé placed her hand on her hip. "Oh so you decide to call me _after_ you get bored of Roxas and Ven?"

"I didn't mean it like that, Naminé!" She smiled at the flustered response. "So, what do you say? I'll meet you at The Java Lounge like we usually do?"

"I'll see you there!"

Kairi stepped out of the bedroom wearing her dress, unzipped. "Who called?"

"Just a friend of mine," Naminé said. "He came back to visit so I'm going to meet him at The Java Lounge." She dropped her phone in her bag and swung it over her right shoulder like always.

"What? Right now?" Kairi looked at the clock. "But we only have three hours to get ready!"

"I'll be back really soon, promise!" Naminé slipped into her favorite pair of gray Toms. "Besides, I never take as long as you to get ready."

Kairi stuck out her tongue, "Fine. You have an hour at most!"

Naminé poked her head from behind the door. "Okay, okay! I got it, don't worry!"

Then she was gone.

**~x~x~**

His spiky brown tresses were the first thing she noticed as soon as she stepped into the coffee shop. With a sweetened coffee in hand, she quietly approached him, trying to make her presence as inconspicuous as possible. When she was close enough, she loudly placed the coffee on his table, startling him as he whipped his head around to look at her.

"Happy birthday, kiddo!"

He laughed and hugged her tightly. "Why thank you, miss."

Naminé squirmed out of her thin jacket and draped it over her chair before sitting down. "How does it feel like being twenty-one?"

He stirred his coffee, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Doesn't feel any different than yesterday." They both laughed. "So, how have you been? Did anything happen that I should know about?"

Her eyebrow rose, "Since when was Sora Forester interested in gossip?"

He laughed. "Considering I've been away for four years, I think I wanna catch up on a few things, you know."

Naminé smiled, "Yeah. That's true." She took a sip. "Well…I told you that my mom got remarried right?"

Sora nodded silently as the rim of his cup was still on his lips. After placing the cup back on his plate, he chuckled. "Oh, right. You told me about that. So, how's the stranger?"

Naminé could think of a bunch of words to describe her occasionally hyperactive stepsister, but thought it would be best to keep it short and simple. She looked at Sora who was looking at her expectantly. But in the end, all she settled for was, "She's nice."

His shoulders fell, clearly expressing his disappointment. "That's it? You've spent four years with her and all you can say is 'she's nice'?"

Naminé frowned. "She _is_ nice."

"Well that's good to hear," Sora smiled. "Guess you aren't as lonely now."

She tilted her head downwards, a sly grin gracing her lips as she stared at him. "Well, enough about me, what about you? Got any girls lately?"

His cheeks turned bright red, and Naminé almost laughed at how flustered he looked. He narrowed his eyes and looked away, embarrassed. "No," he said flatly. "Do you remember what happened last time I tried to approach a girl? Don't tease me about it, Naminé."

"Sora, that was like one little incident. Besides, no one saw it."

"No one but you and the rest of our friends back then!"

She was suddenly hit with a wave of guilt. Her smile faded instantly as she noticed Sora's upset countenance. She bit her bottom lip and nodded apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sora. I didn't mean to make you upset."

Sora smiled half-heartedly. "You must think I'm an idiot for not getting over that, huh?"

"No, of course not," Naminé said sternly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

He took a small sip then handed his cup to her. "Try it. I think you'll like this blend."

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously, staring at the steaming black liquid. "You know I don't like bitter things."

"Did I say that it was bitter?" Sora chuckled. "Just try it."

Naminé took the coffee from him then glanced at him to which Sora responded by giving her an innocent smile. Not even the slightest convinced, she placed the cup in front of him. "Thanks but no thanks."

"I'm not tricking you," he rolled his eyes.

"That's what you said last time and I almost died when you gave me that coffee a few years back!"

Sora blinked twice. "'A few years back'," he scoffed quietly. "How can you remember something from so long ago? Even I don't remember anything like that."

Naminé frowned, "Because I almost _died_."

"You did not. Stop exaggerating!"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Nope, I'm not taking it."

"Tsk, tsk," Sora smiled and shook his head, "Still the stubborn one I see."

Naminé scoffed. "Still the sneaky one, I see."

"How can you say that when I wasn't trying anything in the first place?" he frowned.

She narrowed her eyes. "I just know."

"Anyway," Sora said loudly. "I heard that you and Roxas are on speaking terms again." A sly grin appeared on his face, "Congratz!"

Naminé blushed. "We've always been on 'speaking terms'. What are you talking about?" She looked down at her cup and stirred the liquid slowly, obviously not wanting to meet Sora's eyes.

"Well yeah. But this time it's like…_speaking terms_, if you know what I mean."

"No, I don't," she said quietly.

Sora laughed. "At least you guys can spend a lot of time with each other now that you'll be working for him."

"I'm pretty excited," Naminé said cheerfully. "To be working under a big agency like Light Seduction…I worked so hard for this!"

"Did you apply anywhere else?"

Her smile vanished as she nodded. "I did. There was Light Seduction, Juxtapose, and Emily-Rose."

A low wolf whistle came from Sora, "All from the Big Three, I see. Nice choices. Did you hear back from any of the others?"

She shook her head, eyes on the table.

"Hey, but you made it! A lot of people would kill for your spot, you know," he said encouragingly. "You should be proud of yourself, Naminé!"

"I am," she said quickly, though her somber expression said otherwise.

"But?"

Naminé glanced at him, "But?"

"If you are proud of yourself, you wouldn't look like your dog just got ran over by a car."

She stiffened and sat up straight. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Sora looked at her warily. "Are you sure? If you talk about it, you'll feel a lot better. Who was the one who taught me that?" Naminé chuckled. "My point exactly," he said professionally. "So what's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I, uh, guess I'm just jealous."

His eyebrow rose. "Of…?"

A pause.

"My stepsister," she said quietly.

He had a puzzled look on his face, "But why?"

"She got accepted at all three," Naminé began hesitantly. "She chose Light Seduction because we both got in and thought it would be fun if we worked together."

"Well…yeah. Wouldn't it? It's always good to work with someone you know."

"It is," Naminé agreed. "But I guess I would prefer if we didn't. And I'm starting to question whether or not I _really_ did get in."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been friends for ten years now, Sora. You, me, Roxas, and Ven. I can't help but think that they let me in just because they'll feel sorry for me if they reject me."

Sora's shoulders fell, his eyes full of concern. "You know that Roxas and Ven would never do that. They chose you because you were a much more suitable candidate compared to the others."

"Oh is that so?" Her tone was laced with doubt.

"Naminé, I don't know why you would degrade yourself like this," Sora sighed. "You got in because you worked hard. It's as simple as that! And you shouldn't worry so much about—"

He was suddenly interrupted by his loudly ringing phone that got him a few stares. Sora pulled it out of his pocket and answered it a little more rudely than he had intended, "What?"

"Where are you? The party starts in an hour!"

Sora blinked several times, "Ventus? Oh geez, what time is it?"

"Six," Ventus stated dryly. "We still need to get the suit re-sized, kiddo. Hurry and get your ass back here."

"Okay, okay," Sora said desperately. "I'm on my way. Can I…Can I just drop Naminé off home first?"

"You're with Naminé right now?"

"She's right beside me," Sora glanced at Naminé as she stood up. She pointed towards her watch and then towards the door, a panicked look on her face. He pressed his free hand on the speaker and pulled the phone slightly away from his mouth. "I'll give you a ride home."

"No, no, don't worry about it. My condo is just down the block. Besides, I'll be seeing you soon anyway!" Naminé grinned.

"Hello? Are you listening to me?" He heard Ventus said angrily.

Sora removed his hand and waved as he said, "I'm listening. I'll be home soon, okay?"

"I'm giving you ten minutes before I lock the doors on you."

**~x~x~**

Men dressed in expensive black and white suits were scattered all around the insanely large room, some escorting women in outrageous ball gowns parading around like they were queen of the world, and others were simply enjoying a chilling alcoholic drink, socializing amongst friends. The lights were dim and a fresh lavender scent wafted throughout the room. A string quartet was situated on the stage, playing a beautiful rearrangement of Pachelbel's Canon in D. And on either side there were three large arched windows that served as the only view to the bright city that contrasted wonderfully with the twilight sky.

This was nothing like what she was used to. This intimidating atmosphere brought an uncomfortable chill down her spine as her eyes took in every little detail. Her blond hair was up in a tight bun with only a few stray hairs framing her slightly tanned complexion. Her hands were together, fingers entwined as she nervously fidgeted on the spot. She smoothed out her dress and glanced at Kairi who was putting desserts on her transparent plate, seemingly not bothered by this unusual environment.

She brought her wine glass to her lips and placed the rim on her lower lip. As she took a small sip, a voice came from behind her, "Well, well, look who it is." She spun around. "Miss Naminé Sparks. It's a pleasure."

Her eyes were on the well-dressed man in front of her. She took the rose from his hand and laughed. "Well, it's been a while since I've seen you all dressed up, Ventus."

The younger Decastére smiled. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Right back at you," she glanced up at him. "You've grown, I see."

Ventus smirked, "Much to your distaste?"

"Shut up," she muttered teasingly.

Ventus leaned towards her, a little too close for comfort. "I bet you're dying to see Roxas, aren't you?"

Naminé blushed. "Sure, I guess."

"Well, I'll point you in the right direction." Ventus nodded towards the drinks table, a playful smile on his face as they both stared at Roxas and his female companion, a girl short in stature with short black hair and bright blue eyes. "Her name is Xion," Ventus continued as if reading Naminé's mind. "She's going to be a part of your group, so you might as well get to know her tonight."

"Group? What group?"

"Ah, you'll find out later," Ventus waved his hand to dismiss the conversation from going any further. He held out his hand and smiled mischievously. "Why don't I escort you there?"

Naminé hesitated; her cheeks reddening at Ventus's gentleman-like behaviour and from looking at Roxas at Xion who was standing a little too close for comfort.

"Naminé!"

She jerked slightly and a soft sigh left her lips as she noticed Kairi standing behind Ventus with a plate of goodies in her hand. Kairi swiftly walked towards her and grabbed her by the arm. She led her sister aside and glanced at Ventus who was completely unfazed.

"Who is that?" Kairi whispered, stealing another glance at Ventus. "Do you know him?"

"We, uh, no, I don't," Naminé shook her head. "He's just a creep."

Kairi eyed her doubtfully but shrugged it off as she turned and said quietly, "Well, he's a very _hot_ creep, that's for sure."

Naminé pressed her lips together. She couldn't deny that Ventus was good looking. She was, after all, very much attracted to his identical twin brother.

Her eyes started to wander, and it eventually landed on Sora who was laughing with a bunch of people unfamiliar to her. Kairi turned to face her and upon noticing that her sister's attention was elsewhere, Kairi followed her gaze. She grinned slyly as she noticed the laughing brunette. Kairi nudged her playfully to which Naminé responded with a flinch as she placed her free hand on her waist.

"Who's that?" Kairi asked suggestively.

"Oh, um," Naminé glanced at Sora once more, "that's Sora. He was the friend I met up with today."

Kairi gasped, "No, effing, way. How'd you guys know each other?"

"We just, um, we went to school together. He's a fun guy."

"He looks really rich, that's for sure."

Naminé eyed Kairi then Sora, and it wasn't long before the words "I'll introduce you" was spilt from her mouth.

Kairi's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

Naminé swiftly led her through the crowd and Sora, upon noticing Naminé's presence, waved with both hands, a grin on his face. He excused himself and approached the girls, a curious look on his face as he noticed Kairi following closely behind his friend.

Sora smiled. "Hey, you look great."

"Thanks, you as well," Naminé chuckled. She stepped to the side and glanced at Kairi who was looking a little too excited. "This is my stepsister I told you about today. Her name's Kairi."

"Hello," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi," Sora said with a brief nod. "I'm Sora."

"His family owns a modelling agency in Destiny Islands," Naminé explained. "They're really well off."

Sora eyed her warily out of the corner of his eye.

"Seriously? Hey, that's pretty cool!" Kairi said.

Sora smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, purposely avoiding eye contact with the oblivious redhead in front of him. "Oh! I heard from Naminé you got the internship here, too. Congratulations!"

Kairi giggled. "Thank you! Yeah, it was a pretty hard decision to make between all three agencies."

He noticed Naminé stiffen. "You've made the right choice though. My cousin always takes good care of the new interns."

"Your cousin?" Kairi asked eagerly. "Your cousin _owns_ Light Seduction?"

"His family does," Sora corrected. "But he and his brother are going to be taking over soon."

Kairi turned to Naminé, and their eyes met. "Wait! Does that mean that you know them too?"

"Um, no, no, I don't, unfortunately," Naminé said quietly, her shoulders falling.

Kairi anxiously glanced around the room like a celebrity's fan-girl as Sora and Naminé glanced at each other simultaneously. His eyebrow rose, a look of curiosity and confusion on his face. Naminé swallowed a lump in her throat and shook her head slightly.

"Are they here, like, right now?" Kairi asked. She turned to face them to which Naminé responded with an immediate turn of her head.

"Yeah," Sora said and looked around. "Do, uh, do you want to meet them?"

Kairi waved her hand dismissively. "Me and Naminé will be meeting with them tomorrow. No rush at all!"

A pause.

"You know, I think I need me some alcohol." Kairi said knowingly. "Care to come with me?"

"I don't drink. Thanks though," Sora nodded.

"I'll pass too," Naminé said.

Kairi puffed out her cheeks and shrugged, "Alright. I guess that's more for me then."

She spun on her heel and stalked towards the drinks table. Naminé let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and turned to face Sora who was already looking at her.

She held up a hand to stop him. "I know what you're going to say."

Sora crossed his arms over his chest. "Why'd you lie?"

"I don't want her to know, okay? Besides, it's not a big deal."

"If it isn't a big deal, you wouldn't have lied," Sora frowned. "Naminé, she's not going to look down on you," he continued as if reading her thoughts. "I thought you two are on good terms."

"We are," Naminé said loudly. "It's just one little lie, Sora. It's not going to hurt anyone. Just…please don't mention Roxas or Ventus around her."

Sora shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that. I doubt we'll be talking again soon anyway."

"You don't know that."

He sighed loudly. "Okay, I'll keep your secret."

She held up her pinky finger, "Promise me."

"Seriously, Naminé? This is so childish."

"Promise me," she repeated.

He stared at her hand, thinking that this was ridiculous beyond belief. But nonetheless, he hooked his pinky with hers and lifted it once. "I promise."


End file.
